This invention relates generally to sun visors for automotive vehicles and, more specifically, to a sun visor assembly with a thin packaging profile.
Automotive vehicle manufacturers place high importance on environmental issues such as fuel efficiency standards. In recent years auto makers have designed automobiles with aerodynamic exterior shapes which have a low coefficient of drag to achieve increased fuel efficiency and lower wind noise. These more aerodynamic designs often involve a lower vehicle roof. The front header panel, attached to the front edge of the roof metal, is accordingly moved downward and rearward. A lower vehicle roof, however, negatively impacts the styling and packaging of the interior components.
Traditionally, sun visors in automotive vehicles are positioned below an inner roof trim piece, known as the headliner, which covers the bottom of the front header as well as the roof sheet metal. The headliner usually consists of a compression molded fiberglass substrate which can be compressed below the front header. Located beneath the headliner cloth is often a secondary sun visor, known as an auxiliary sun visor, which is stowed against the headliner surface in its unused position and can be rotated from the headliner forward to the windshield and back again. The primary sun visor is, in turn, located below the auxiliary sun visor and can be rotated forward toward the windshield or can be rotated in an outward direction to block sunlight from entering the side window. Primary sun visors often contain illuminated vanity mirrors which are usually the thickest dimensional item on the sun visor. Thus, this entire sun visor assembly can become quite large from the front header to the bottom of the primary sun visor; this reduces the occupants' head room and may encroach upon their upward viewing through the windshield.
Furthermore, a rotatable elbow located at the outboard end of the primary sun visor is mounted to the sheet metal with screws or quick-connect type fasteners and currently the headliner is covered by a trim bezel known as an outboard bezel. The opposite end of the primary sun visor, closest to the center line of the vehicle, is often mounted to a center support through a releasable roller which holds the sun visor when stowed or rotated downward. When an auxiliary sun visor is part of the vehicle, it is mounted by a pivot means to both the outboard bezel and to the center support. The many part tolerances involved often create inconsistent center support efforts, and aesthetic gapping or interference problems may occur between all of these parts.
Another method consists of a cloth covered formed pressboard retainer with metal bracketry to retain preassembled primary sun visors and a center lamp. This assembly covered the front portion of the headliner and was screwed to the front header. Not only was this device quite heavy, thick and expensive, it neither retained an auxiliary sun visor nor used remote lighting. Moreover, significant tolerance and appearance benefits could not be realized with this assembly since very little part integration was present.